BASF is building a new world-scale neopentyl glycol (NPG) plant with an annual production capacity of 80,000 metric tons at its new Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China. Its start-up in the fourth quarter of 2025 will increase the company's global NPG capacity from 255,000 metric tons annually to 335,000 metric tons. With plants in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Freeport, USA; and Nanjing and Jilin, China, BASF is one of the world's leading NPG producers. Vasilios Galanos, Senior Vice President, Intermediates Asia Pacific, BASF, said, "The NPG plant at the Zhanjiang Verbund site will enable us to meet the growing demand from customers in Asia, especially for powder coatings in China. We are leveraging the synergies that arise from our unique Verbund model and leading-edge technologies. We are therefore confident that our new NPG plant will enable us to expand our position, especially in China, the world's largest chemical market." With its high chemical and thermal stability, NPG mainly proves its worth for the production of powder coatings, which are used particularly in the construction industry and for coating household appliances. The use of powder coatings can reduce the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by up to 50%, making it easier for users to comply with certain VOC emission standards. Other applications for NPG include the manufacture of lubricants, plasticizers and pharmaceuticals: For example, it proves its worth as a chemical building block in the synthesis of hormones, cardiovascular drugs and painkillers.
Autor(en): wi
